North Hunterdon’s Zhang is third in foil in state fencing finals

SKILLMAN — North Hunterdon High sophomore Albert Zhang came through with the best finish among Hunterdon County competitors during Sunday’s NJSIAA Individual Championships, placing third in the boys foil event at Montgomery High.

Hunterdon Central senior Drew Johnston, going after his second straight foil crown, finished fourth this time as he was narrowly edged for a spot on the podium by Zhang.

The finish was a breakthrough moment for Zhang, who was the fifth-place qualifier out of District 2, and highlights the depth of talent in the weapon possessed by Hunterdon County fencers.

North Hunterdon coach John Reid was duly impressed by his team’s sophomore foilist.

“He is extremely dedicated to fencing,” said Reid of Zhang. “He’s a quiet athlete who really leads by example. Albert was sick all week before the tournament, and to finish where he did, against an extremely tough foil group, he has a very bright future in the sport.”

The foil champ was George Haglund of Newark Academy and taking second was John Vaiani of Christian Brothers Academy of Lincroft.

The state tournament saw the conclusion of the high school career of several of the best fencers in the state, including Hunterdon Central foil stars Johnston and Gaby D’Astoli and Voorhees sabre ace Julia Greene.

All three fenced well, making the final pools in their weapons.

D’Astoli capped her excellent high school career with yet another strong performance, finishing sixth in the state against one of the most competitive fields at the tournament. As expected, the county was well-represented in this weapon among the girls, with Voorhees foilist Torrie McDermott finishing 13th and D’Astoli’s linemate, Paige Johnston, taking 14th.

Greene placed fifth in sabre, putting the finishing touches on a sterling NHHS career that included a 41-0 record in dual meets this year.

After finishing 12th in the state during her sophomore campaign and ninth last winter, Greene advanced into the final pool. The performance came against one of the more difficult arrays of competition in any weapon in recent years.

Wayne Valley’s Francesca Russo was the sabre winner, followed by Wayne Hills’ Alisha Gomez-Shah, Northern Highlands’ Allison Lee, Katie Khaw of West Windsor-Plainsboro North and Greene.

For Greene, the event being her last as a Voorhees fencer had significance to her but did not affect her showing.

“I actually wasn’t thinking about it while fencing,” she said. “My goal was simply to fence the best I could, I was able to shake it off and kind of end with a bang. I improved at this tournament each year and that made me happy. I think I did well.”

Reflecting on her career, which saw her pick up the sport as a freshman and rise to become the Vikings’ top fencer in recent years, Greene spoke of the importance of her team in her personal development.

“I had a lot of fun,” she said. “Everyone felt like a family on Voorhees. It’s a great experience, and it led me to fence outside high school as well. It’s a really big part of my life now and I wouldn’t be anywhere in the sport without the experience of being on my team.